Monte: Senior, please, this thing you are doing, this I think maybe is singing…

Randall: (startled from some work on deck) What? Was I singing?

Monte: It is sort of singing, possibly, if you take away the need for carrying of the tune. But my question is can you esplain me what is it, the song?

Randall: I don’t know. I’ll have to think. Ah, yes, Fiddler on the Roof, “If I Were a Rich Man.” It goes like … (starts to sing).

Monte: Yes, yes, I’ve heard it, lovely, most kind, deeply enjoyable. But can you esplain me the song. Why is it you now want to be rich. Yesterday you just wanted to sleep. You want many things.

Randall: I dunno. Contended, I guess.

Monte: You want to be rich because you are contented?

Randall: No, I mean it feels like we’ve made it over the first of many hurdles–we’re through the damned doldrums at last. We’re finally in clean, clear breezes that are going east ahead of schedule; the sky is blue and open. There was a tropic bird earlier. We might even cross the equator tomorrow. Things are going our way. Oh, there’s a song… (starts to sing).

Monte: (clasps hands over ears) Oh, forgive me, but I think a fly has got in my head, let me try to trap him. (Randall stops singing; Monte removes hands) No, I was mistaken. It was not a fly. But my question…this all makes you want to be rich?

Randall: Na, that’s just a happy song from childhood. In matter of fact, I think we’re pretty rich right now, don’t you think?

Monte: Yes, yes, it reminds me of a saying we have in my country …”When you wake up in a barrel of money, don’t sneeze.”

Randall: Ah. Hmm. We just say, “We’re in the money.”

Joanna recently forwarded a few questions/comments from the Figure 8 site. As you may know, I don’t have access to the interntet while at sea but am occasionally sent some of your remarks, and thank you very much for the interest.

From Howard and Stephanie – We were struck by the crossed genoa sheets on the great pic taken from forward. Would you explain why they are crossed? (back to southing post)

Answer: Hey Howard and Steph, those are the foreguys for the genoa poles. The control line starts in the cockpit, runs up the deck to a turning block near the bow and then crosses over to the pole on the other side. So, the port foreguy controls the starboard genoa pole. You seen them crossed on deck because I usually leave them attached to the poles and ready for deployment when not in use. Thanks for following along.

From Chuck Fulton – In your photo I see what appears to be reef points in the main, but no reefing lines in them. Do you have another way of securing the foot of your mainsail while reefed?

Answer: Hey Chuck, Mo has a pretty standard jiffy reef system on the main; that is, the reef tack attaches to a clip at the gooseneck and the reef clew is brought down to the boom by a line attached to the boom end. This line runs up through the clew, back to a block on the boom, and then inside the boom and up to the gooseneck. There I take the line to a winch and haul away. When the clew is nice and snug, the jiffy reef line applies some aft-ward tension to the foot of the sail; so, the reef cringles you see don’t need to be tied down.

And to Ben Shaw, thanks for the nice comments about the OCC and the Annapolis Boat Show. Glad Matt and Andy are interested. Maybe we can do a podcast while I’m underway (AFTER Cape Horn success). Best to the family, especially the wee ones.